> Commercial beekeeping in the U.S. would have been a fourth the size it is today if not for California almonds. Saved an industry!

OK, let's talk turkey here. What has "saved" the commercial beekeeping industry? Here is an interesting piece:

USDA02: "Eliminate Federal Support for Honey"

The federal government has supported honey production since 1950. The program was enacted after honey prices dropped following World War II because of reduced demand and excess inventories. During the war, the government declared beekeeping war-essential and encouraged heavy production.(1) Beeswax was used in place of petroleum to waterproof ammunition and other equipment, and honey replaced tightly rationed sugar.

When demand decreased after the war, beekeepers and honey packers found it difficult to cover costs, and the number of honeybee colonies began to decline.(2) Congress reacted by introducing price supports for honey in the Agricultural Act of 1949. The basic purpose of the legislation was to ensure that enough honeybees would be available for crop pollination. However, since receipts from honey and beeswax far exceeded revenue from pollination, Congress subsidized honey production at prices that would allow beekeepers to maintain viable operations. The program was to be in effect only until beekeepers could receive adequate pay for pollination services.(3)

Only about 3,000 to 5,000 beekeepers participate in the USDA program, with just over three million colonies of bees. As with other agricultural commodity programs that base benefits on production, the largest beekeeping operations tend to receive the most federal support. About 10 percent of program participants receive over 50 percent of payments. Sideliners and hobbyists make little use of the program. 

According to USDA, if the honey price support program is terminated, there will be a decline in the number of honeybee colonies available to provide pollination services, at higher cost, to fruit and vegetable producers. Production of these crops is generally concentrated in a few geographic areas, such as Florida and California, and USDA believes it is unlikely these areas contain a sufficient number of wild bees or honeybees managed by local beekeepers to provide adequate pollination.(7) However, there does not seem to be a clear connection between federal subsidies for beekeepers and effective pollination services.

http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/npr/library/reports/ag02.html

to be continued.

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